Removable bottle closure device



Jan 6, 1948- A. w. AN:namen-:RC5v 2,433,972

REMOVABLE BOTTLE GLOSURE- DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

MIZ

Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,433,972' REMOVABLE BOTTLE CLOSURE DEVICE Axel W. Anderberg. Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 25, 1947, Serial No.v 770,489

2 Claims. (Cl. 21S-82) This application relates to bottle closure means adapted for use on bottles having a mouthor neck end so shaped as to normally be sealed by a closure device of the crown type.` The device of this invention is intended primarily for use in the resealing of such bottles where the original closure has been removed and 1t is desired to effectively and hermetically seal the residualv contents of the bottle, the device having its maximum utility where it is desired to seal the bottle against the escape of gas under pressure, i. e. a gas such as a carbonating gas which is commonly employed for beverages.

One of the particular objects of the invention is to provide a removable bottle closure having a clamping lever provided with a bead-engaging shoulder structure which is adapted to engage a coacting bead on the bottle at two spaced points of contact during application of the closure to the bottle, and to engage upon such bead over an elongated zone in excess of one-half the circumferential length of such bead when the closure is in fully applied position. More particularly, the bead-engaging shoulder is so shaped and so carried upon the clamping member as to resiliently engage upon the bottle during the abovementioned engagement at spaced points of contact, yet rigidly engage upon the bead in the fully applied position.

I am appreciative of the fact that numerous forms of bottle closures have heretofore been proposed for the purpose of resealing a bottle from which a crown type of closure has been removed, but for the most part, insofar as I am able to determine,v the prior proposed forms of closures inadequately seal the bottle-against the escape of gas under the pressure which develops in the bottle after the seal has been applied. It will be apparent, upon consideration, that upon sealing a bottle which is open to the atmosphere, the sealing pressure when the closure is being applied upon the open mouth of the bottle need be but nominal inasmuch as the dissolved gas in n the beverage or other vcontents of the bottle cannot develop a superatmospheric pressure condition, but after the bottle has been sealed, some of the dissolved gas will come out of solution, with a consequent increase in'internal pressure on the closure. ForV the most part, the prior suggested Vforms of closure means of the type with which this invention is concerned have reliedupon the provision of shoulder means which will'engage upon the outer rim or bead at the bottle mouth,

ii. e. .the bead upon which the conventional crown type of closure engages, and owing to the facty that it is substantially impossible to provide any cam or lever action which will engage upon the nether portion of this bead at more than two spaced points during the actual application of the closure (unless a closure of the crown type is employed so as to engage about substantially the entire periphery of the bottle), diiculty has been had in applying a sealing pressure which is adequate to prevent; escape of gas from the bottle under the developed pressure condition without producing such an intensication of stress upon the bottle rim as to be likely to cause fracture thereof at the position ofthe aforesaid spaced points of contact.

According to the present invention the desired sealing pressure is obtained by causing the locking lever portion of the structure to engage a portion of the bottle neck which is materially removed from the mouth, at a position where the bottle is more adapted to withstand the stresses imposed by the closure upon application. Bottles adapted to receive the crown type seal are customarily provided with an inner or second reinforcing bead which is spaced from the outer bead which receives the crown type seal. The location of this second bead is subject to minor variation in an axial sense and it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a closure structure which will be effective to lock upon this second bead in spite of such minor variations in the location thereof as may result in the products of different manufacturers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure having a cap portion carrying a. resilient sealing member which is adapted to lit over the open end of a bottle in sealing relation to the opening therein, together with a clamping member pivotally attached to the cap portion at two diametrally located points, said clamping member being so shaped as to depend from the points of pivotal support in a relation subtending somewhat more than one-half the circumference of the bottle neck. The clamping member is provided with an inwardly directed shoulder positioned for engagement with the above-mentioned second bead of .the bottle neck within a zone eX- tending substantially the vfull subtendingexpanse of the clamping member about said neck and is further provided with lmeans stiffening the medial portion of the length of said inwardly directed shoulder member, said stiffening means being terminated short of the end portions of said inwardly directed shoulder member at a position such as to cause the end portions of said shoulder means which vextend beyond the half-circuiti- Fig. 3 is a diametrical vertical section taken at right angles to that of Fig. 2,1. as vfon-line 3;" 3` therein;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections as taken on' lines 4--4 and 5-5, respectivelyyinnFigz, 3;` and.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View showing the neck of a bottle upon which a closure of this inventionY is being applied, the closure being shown a1; the beginning ofthe clamping or sealing movement ofthe clamping member.

Referring tof'the Vdrawings "aconventional glass bottle is shown-'atl provided with a neck portion 2 havingI an `outer bead 3 upon which the-cone ventional crown seal type-of rclosureis'adapted to be'applied; and a second bead V4i-*spaced below the outer beadS.y The spacingof the bead 4Yfrom'the bead-3j as above "described, and 'the general` con` tour fof the lower -portion of this -secondbead, has been found to befairly` consistent in the various bottles from"different` manufacturers, th'e^-maximum-variation havingl been found to be fon the order of about sie" insofar as the spacing ofthe nether shoulder portionof the second bead-from th'e'iirst'beadvv is concerned.v It will' be noted that the1-lo'c ttle` neckis materially thickened-*at and slight-lyabovef the position of'the Y second bead 4, 'making the-'bottle structure lmuch more-capable of-resisting thelstresses resulting-from-the application ofA 'theclosurel-if such closure stresses are applied Iat ltherv position of the bead "4 ratherthan at i therposition of l the f bead i3.

The closure -device *offl this Linvention is* illustratedfas comprising'r a cap portion'r 5"' provided withJ a-riin portion Iilhaving ian internat `dialrneter only-slightlygreater-than the outer diameter of the bead 3v1 (the dimensions ofl th'isbead` being quite consistent in-theltrade)-. Therimpmtion lIf-is prefe'rablylof such lengthl'as to-v normally extend toslightly `below thesbottomfof- 4the bead-3, in a covering relation theretoi' Thecap porti/on 5 carries a Iwasher I 'which-fis rfnecessari-lly 1 of a resilient material' which will efectivel-yisealf upon the-"bead'S'fwhen the-closurefis clamped inplace. The =materia1 forming thevwasher 1 ispreferably offfaf rubber-like nature,A preferablyia, composition Which will 'maintains its resilience (i'; e.; property ofA "resilient: deformation under appliedf pressure) over' a y'relatively longfperiodf ci use and 'which 'will lne-substantiallyimpermeable:by carbon dioxide.

A :clamping lever f8,'lprefe'rably Ilformed `of rela-1 tively :stiff-3 springelike metalfis pivotally'attached tothe capfporti'onf 5, as to the-'rim portion y(i,

past the position of the second bead 4 in use, and preferably terminates in a downwardly and outwardly extending thumb lever portion I3. The skirt portion I2 is of such length in a circumferential sense as to encompass somewhat more than the half-circumference of the bottle neck, and to this end is provided with a pair of projecting portions I4 which have their maximum projection at aposition just .below thelocation of .the bead 4. The skirt portion' I2 is providedi with an inwardly directed shoulder member I5, such as may be formed by embossing a groove I6 inwardly upon th'e skirt I2, which shoulder member, as may be seenzmoresparticul'arly in Figs. 4 and 5, is adapted to .encompass somewhat more than the half-circumferenceofthe bottle neck below the bead 4. The 'fp ortionsfII fofet'he shoulder I5 which are located forwardly of the half-circumference of the bottlegiiei, at the position of the projecting portions I4, are carried inwardly so as to cam over thef-bottlefdiameter by resilient, deformation 'of thefclainpingilever: as such; leven is.v Inovediinto fully clamped; position;

The skirt portion-.I2 is-materiallyxstiffened: by the provisionv'to'the `shoulder I5; but is ,obviously subject to expansion ina radial sense at theposition vof ithe fforward: portions I 4 ras the shoulder portions I'I"` areA brought past :thef bead 4e (see Fi'g.16)2 ingthei'clarnpingoperation: In order to restrict thiswradial expansion'of'fthe skirt I2 -to substantiallyythe projecting portions I li; andthe shoulder portions I'I,'I provide a circumferentially extending stiffeningfbead I8 :adjacent thefshoulder I5,v as between the shoulder I5 andthe pivot axis.- as 'deiinedoby Y'the'rivets- 9. The stiffening bead I 8 -is preferably embossed outwardly .so` as not to interfere with the lclampingoperation' by engagement -upon thefportion Yoi lthe bottleneck between 4the-beads f3fande4f This stiffening bead AI8 ispreierablystoppedf short of` the hal-circumference.. ofy the skirt -I 2,` andisthus yofless circumferentialY length. than... the. shoulder I 5,. .thereby servingffto restrict vthe radiai expansionbi'the skirt member under s resilient deformation :substantially within. the4 zone*V indicated, by the double-headed arrow` in, Fig.. 1,. .atv .eachsidetof theclosure.

The-skirt I2,-k when. movedfrom., the `position of Fig. 6 into the position of Fig; 3,.,will first engagethe bead..4 @at .the Hprojecting.portions I 1 ofthe shoulder: I5,. causingthe skirt portions, I4 to expand, outwardly in the.direction shownby the small.A arrows f, f *.in.4 Fig.v .2,n and vpermit...the shoulder portions l I1 :to-passthe bead.: As .the

'skirt portion. issmovedy ,more fully intoV `the posi.-

tionaof; Fig.. 3, the; shoulder portions ..-I 'I `iiex inwardlysinto positionunder the..bead .4and past the diametral. dimensionl of .the bottle neck, clampingainwardly fuponmthebottle -in engagementl 4witlilthe vnether contour Y of :the ibead,` and at. thefsameztimef. the :portions 1I Q -.oiv the shoulder I5.intermediateat1r1e;.shoulderf portions I I lmove intapOsiti'on.. rigidly -engagingihe nether: surface ofithe :bead-4` kas sho-wn. sin Fig.; 3, enggingz-1so much offthe; Vencompassed portion ofthe-bead Y 4 as '.thefsymmetry: of the contourgofzthis bead: will permit Landzthus :distributing the; clamping; load onto .arzene extending: over. more' thanY one-:half of.; the .circumferenti'ai .lengtn` ofithis'; bead; In

fclamping fposition; the skirtzzportion; I 2 f of the clamping 1i memberl: isa. very rigid in;4 directions tendingfto distort theshoulder.n I5 upwardlyor downwardly', so as to'causea quite rigid engagement of Asuch shoulder uponthebeadfdmherever the mutual. conformations.; ofi the@ bead and lshoulder will permit. During the movement of the clamping lever to fully clamped position the washer 1 is compressed onto the bead 3, and the resiliency of this washer serves to maintain the upwardly directed clamping effort of the shoulder l upon the bead 4 while the shoulder portions Il further constrain the clamping lever in the position of Fig. 3.

In the event that the bead 4 is located somewhat below the position shown in the drawings (within the dimensional variation above referred to) the shoulder I5, including the portions l1, will grip upon the bead 4 at a relatively higher position than is illustrated and on a contact line of somewhat greater radius. This results in greater resilient deformation of the skirt portions Ill, causing the shoulder portions I1 to exert a greater inwardly directed holding action in proportion.

It will be appreciated that the above-described construction is intended only to be illustrative of the best mode of making and using the device of my invention, and I do not consider the invention as limited to the precise details herein set forth, but rather to the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A closure device for bottles provided with a neck portion of circular cross-section having an outer bead adapted for reception of a closure of the crown type, and an inner bead spaced from and parallel to said outer bead, which comprises: a cap member provided with a resiliently compressible sealing member adapted for engagement with the outer surface of said outer bead of such bottle neck, and a depending rim portion adapted to fit over said outer bead; a clamping member; pivot means on said rim portion of said cap member and on said clamping member intersecuring said members for pivotal movement of said clamping member into and out of clamping position about said bottle neck; said clamping member being formed of spring-like metal and comprising a skirt portion of such length as to extend downwardly from the position of said pivot means past the position of said inner bead of said bottle, and of such length in a circumferential sense as to encompass in excess of the half-circumference of said bottle neck upon pivotal movement of said clamping member into clamping position; an inwardly directed shoulder on said skirt member positioned to be located in contact with said inner bead at the side thereof removed from said outer bead when said clamping member is in said clamping position, said shoulder being of a circumferential length greater than the halfcircumference of said bottle neck at the position of said inner bead, and the end portions of said shoulder being provided with projecting portions adapted to cam over the bottle neck diameter upon movement of said clamping member into said clamping position by resilient outward deformation of said skirt member at the position of said shoulder end portions.

2. A construction as set forth in claim 1, said skirt portion being further provided with a stiffening bead located adjacent said shoulder and extending circumferentially not materially in excess of the half-circumference of said skirt portion so as to be of less length than said shoulder, to thereby cooperate with said shoulder to stiffen said skirt portion intermediate said end portions against radial deformation thereof, while leaving said end portions capable of resilient outward deformation.

AXEL W. ANDERBERG. 

